According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 4,957
motorcyclists were killed on American roads in 2012. Pretty dangerous,
huh? Not when you compare our mode of transportation to other everyday
risks like.

1.) Alcohol: 25,692 people were killed in the U.S. by alcohol
poisoning in 2010

2.) Smoking: 440,000 people in the U.S. are killed each year due
to tobacco-related illnesses

3.) The Flu: 48,614 Americans were killed by the
flu during the 2003-04 season

6.) Poison: 39,000 people are killed each year due
to household poisons and prescription medication. Please don't call the
doctor!

7.) Second-Hand Smoke: 49,000 people in the U.S.
die each year due to inhaling second-hand smoke

8.) Getting Shot: People with guns kill 31,940 in
the U.S. each year. The vast majority of which are suicides

9.) Healthcare: As many as 98,000 Americans are
killed each year by, “preventable medical errors in hospitals.”

10.) Having Sex: 20,000 Americans are killed each
year by sexually transmitted infections

11.) Getting High: 17,000 Americans die each year
due to drug abuse

12.) Being Fat: 400,000 Americans die each year
due to, “Poor diet and physical inactivity.”

13.) Your Bathroom: Nearly 9,000 Americans were
killed by their bathrooms in 1999

Motorcycle fatalities drop 7% in U.S., 13% in
California in 2013

By Charles Fleming

Motorcycle fatalities in the U.S. in 2013 appear
to have declined, according to a new report. The Governors Highway Safety
Assn. says 2013 fatalities are projected to have dropped 7% nationwide and
13% in California from 2012 levels. That's the good news. The bad news:
Lower rates in many areas appear to be due not to better riding but worse
riding conditions—particularly
a long cold winter that drove motorcycling miles down in many states,
compared with a long dry winter in 2012 that drove rates up. For the
first nine months of 2013, there were 3,638 motorcyclist fatalities
nationwide, compared with 4,046 for the same period in 2012, the GHSA study
said. For comparison, for the full year of 1997 there were 2,116
motorcyclist fatalities. In 2011 there were 4,612. Dr. James Hedlund, a
former National Highway Traffic Safety Administration official who authored
the new study, says more universal helmet laws, reduced alcohol impairment,
better motorcycle rider training and licensing, and more driver awareness of
motorcycles could all help to cut motorcycle rider deaths. In 2011, the most
recent year numbers are available, 29% of motorcyclists killed on the road
had a blood alcohol concentration above .08%, the legal limit for vehicle
operation in California and many other states. For the same period, 22% of
riders involved in fatal crashes did not have valid motorcycle licenses.
More than a third of riders in fatal crashes were speeding—and
half of those fatal accidents didn't involve another vehicle. Most
tellingly, fatality rates were higher in states that do not have mandatory
helmet laws. Currently, only 19 states require that helmets be worn by all
riders and passengers. The remainder either require only that children wear
helmets or have no requirements at all. According to the NHTSA, "There were
10 times as many unhelmeted motorcyclist fatalities in states without
universal helmet laws, compared to states with universal helmet laws, in
2012." "By far, helmets are the single most effective way to prevent
serious injury and death in the event of a motorcycle crash," said Kendell
Poole, GHSA chairman. According to Hedlund, who has studied before-and-after
motorcycle fatality data in states that enact or repeal helmet laws, there
was a mathematical correlation between helmet laws and rider deaths: "When
helmet use goes down, rider fatalities go up," he said. Driver education
would also help, Hedlund said. A high percentage of fatal motorcycle
accidents occurred, he said, "when a car [driver], typically, doesn't see
the motorcyclist and turns left in front of the motorcycle." Having studied
the numbers and issued a similar report every year since 2009, Hedlund,
speaking from his office in upstate New York, did not sound optimistic about
overall improvement in rider safety. "I'd hate to think that the only thing
you can do to prevent motorcycle deaths is have crummy weather," he said.
"But that's what happened last year."

More than 46 years after
his $300 Triumph motorcycle was stolen from his
backyard, a Nebraska man, now 72, has been reunited
with his bike, U.S. customs officials announced
Monday. The man’s blue and black 1953 Triumph Tiger
100 motorcycle was en route to Japan from the Los
Angeles/Long Beach ports complex when it was
recovered Wednesday, U.S. Customs and Border
Protection officials said. The bike was stolen in
early February 1967 from the man’s backyard,
according to the agency. The police report at the
time valued the bike at $300 and said it had been
parked in the backyard through the winter. A thief
apparently forced open a wooden fence to get to it.
Half a country away and nearly half a century later,
the bike resurfaced on Wednesday at the Los
Angeles/Long Beach seaport complex in a shipping
manifest for Yokohama, Japan. The bike was valued at
$9,000 and described as being in remarkably good
condition. Authorities seized the bike and tracked
down its Midwestern owner, who still lives in Omaha.
It’s the third vehicle customs officials recently
recovered that had been lost for more than 20 years,
officials said. Los Angeles field operations
director Todd Owen said in a statement that federal
authorities regularly check outbound vehicles and
have had remarkable success. And sometimes, Owen
said, "a few have nice stories like this one."

Keep an
especially close watch on your motorcycle if you own a
Honda and live in California, as you’re statistically
more likely than anyone else in the nation to have it
stolen—especially
during the summer months—according
to data compiled by the National Insurance Crime Bureau
(NICB) in Des Plaines, Ill. The good news is that while
motorcycle sales rose slightly last year, thefts
actually dropped by about six percent, totaling 46,667
reported stolen. Still, that amounts to one bike
pilfered in the U.S. every 11 minutes. As one might
imagine, motorcycle thieves were most active in the
summer months, with the most bikes stolen during July
(5,544) and August (5.397); the fewest were stolen
during February (2,147) and December (2.475), when
they’re typically garaged for the winter in roughly half
the nation.

The top
five motorcycle brands reported stolen, which together
amounted for 75.6 percent of all bike thefts during 2011
were:

Honda
(11,014)

Yamaha (8,880)

Suzuki (7,281)

Kawasaki (5,009)

Harley-Davidson (3,120)

The
states reporting the most motorcycle thefts were mostly
in warm-weather climates and accounted for 39.3 percent
of all units stolen:

California (5,927)

Texas
(3,950)

Florida (3,927)

North
Carolina (2,466)

Indiana (2,114)

Concurrently, the states reporting the fewest stolen
motorcycles were in areas having much harsher and longer
winters, including Alaska, Vermont, South Dakota,
Wyoming and North Dakota, the latter with just 21 bikes
pilfered during 2011. As with auto insurance, all 50
states mandate minimum liability coverage for
motorcycles, though theft (comprehensive) insurance is
optional. Often overlooked, those who’ve personalized
their rides will additionally want to carry accessory
insurance that covers the cost of non-standard parts
like aftermarket audio systems, fairings, luggage racks
and the like, which can be substantial. “When people
customize their bikes, they often don’t adjust their
coverage accordingly,” says Progressive Insurance
motorcycle product manager Dan Kamionkowski.

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Zorba's Bike Nite proven excellent entertainment
value—its
Free!

SCBN, Riverside, CA.—Having
fun should not be rated by how much money you have or spend. But the truth
is, having fun often costs more than we know. That is, unless you go to
Zorba's Bike Nite on Tuesday evening; this great local event is 100 % free
to attend. Men and women of all ages come to Riverside's Zorba's Burgers, to
met up with or find new friends. Although the weekly gathering is based
around motorcycles, you need not own or ride one to take part. Having an
interest in the two-wheeled vehicles is a sure bet to increase your fun
however. None of us have control over the outside world and our global
economic situation. But, as life goes on we can’t let these things have more
effect on us. We need to go on living and one of the ways we enjoy our lives
is through outside entertainment. As most are aware, entertainment can take
a significant chunk of your budget and is often the first thing that gets
cut when the economy sours out-of-control. Fortunately, there is Zorba's
Bike Nite, a weekly event that is free to attend. As our weather continues
to warm and improve, so will the attendance. What better way to break-up a
boring week then heading to Zorba's on Tuesday nights? Save your hard-earned
cash, and find new friends at Zorba's Burgers.
Walk the parking lot and enjoy the variety of
motorcycles; new, old, cruisers, Harley's, sport bikes and yes even some
scooters! Zorba's Burgers is located at 450 Iowa
Avenue, Riverside, 92507. Phone: (951) 686-5830

Top Ten Fastest Production Motorcycles for 2011

10) BMW K1200S -
167 Mph - Even though BMW creates
beautiful cars, it has not been all that successful when it comes to fast
bikes. Nonetheless, the fastest models’ speed has been estimated at 167
miles per hour. Power of this bike is 152 hp @ 9500 rpm.

9) Suzuki GSX-R750 -
168 Mph - This racing bike was a first
of its kind during the 1980s and created a revolution among the
manufacturers and competitors. The liquid cooled DOHC engine allowed the biker to ride at a
speed of 168 miles per hour and is immensely popular even today.

8) Ducati 1098S -
172 Mph - This bike is very popular
and a favorite amongst hard-core bikers. This Italian bike is also known as
the Ducati ten, nine, eight. It created ripples in the industry and changed
the format of street biking as well as biking championships. The engine is
extremely powerful and the speed of the bike has been estimated at a
whopping 172 miles
per hour with 1,099 cc.

7) Honda CBR1000 RR -
172 Mph - The Honda CBR1000 RR entered
the markets in 2004 and was basically created for those who were interested
in Moto GP races. The design of the bike was completely fresh and impressed
the competitors in the market as well. The stroke and bore dimensions were
new and unique and standards were set for upcoming models. The speed of the
Honda CBR1000 RR has been estimated at 172 miles per hour with the
liquid-cooled inline four-cylinder engine size of 999 cc.

6) MV Augusta F4 R312
- 176 Mph - The MV Augusta F4 R312 was
introduced in 1994 and features like Euro 3 engine and 185 HP at 18000
rotations find mention when describing this bike. The characteristics of a
Moto GP bike are also included in this bike, making it all the more
desirable and appealing. The speed of the MV Augusta F4 R312 has been
estimated at 176 miles per hour.

5) Yamaha YZF-R1 -
177 Mph - Yamaha entered this bike
into the market during the latter half of the 1990s. The design of the bike
as well the engine has been modified over the years, especially during 2002
till 2009. The newest model of the Yamaha YZF-R1 is beautiful in terms of
appearance but when it comes to performance, the 2001 model was much better.
Its maximum speed has been estimated at 177 miles per hour.

4) Suzuki GSX-R1000 -
178 Mph - This bike was introduced
nine years ago and this exceptional model gained instant popularity due to
its impressive engine power. The DOHC four cylinder liquid cooled motor
makes the GSX-R more than a handful. The highest speed of the Suzuki GSX-R1000 was
recorded at a blazing 178 miles per hour.

3) Kawasaki Ninja
ZX-10R - 180 + Mph - This bike entered
the market during the second half of 2004 and the design was modified in
2005. While the bike is extremely fast, it is also light, it is fuel efficient
and the engine is very strong. Features like 4-stroke, liquid-cooling, 998
cc, 4 valve cylinders and DOHC deserve to be mentioned when describing this
extraordinary engine. In 2004 and 2005 the ZX-10R won Best Superbike
from Cycle World magazine and the prestigious international Masterbike
competition. According to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, The
ZX-10R has the highest theft and damage loss claim rate of any registered
motorcycle. And capable of speeds in excess of 180 Mph.

2) Kawasaki Ninja
ZX-14 - 186 Mph - This bike was
introduced in 2006 and the response it received world-wide was remarkable,
if not overwhelming. The ZX-14 tried to compete with the Suzuki Hayabusa and
recorded a top speed over 180 miles per hour. The 4 cylinder inline fuel
injected engine is liquid-cooled, every
cylinder has four valves and other features like 1352 cc four-stroke, DOHC
deserve mention as well.

1) Suzuki Hayabusa -
186 Mph - This bike is considered to
be the most powerful and fastest production motorcycle worldwide. It was first introduced in
1999 and the name roughly translates to “black bird”. In the year 2000, the
bike recorded over 200 miles per hour. The new Hayabusa is a 1350cc, 4-cylinder, 4-stroke
inline liquid cooled engine that has 16
valves and listed here as the fastest in the world!

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RIVERSIDE, CA. (SCBN)—Popularity of SoCalBikeNite.com
has exploded, hitting an all-time high. While our visitor numbers are still
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Locally, lets not forget the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and the
Riverside Police Department—yes, they have informed us they too are regular
visitors on SoCalBikeNite.
Many motorcycle websites from outside the United States have added links
to SoCalBikeNite.com sending daily traffic from various countries to view our site here in Southern
California. From within the United States and outside of our regular
demographics, SoCalBikeNite receives hundreds of
daily site visitors
from coast-to-coast. What does this mean? And why are they coming here?
Sorry, we only have the information on their visits, not the reasons. So,
lets all smile and be happy... your photos and website are being viewed from around the world. Be sure
and tell your friends—and thanks to all of you for helping
make SoCalBikeNite.com the best on the
Internet.

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Always Remember: "Life is not measured by the
number of breaths we take, but by the
moments that take our breath away!" - George Carlin

Warning: Motorcycle stunting,
wheelies, burn-outs or excessive speeds at or near
this bike night is ill-advised as local Police and the Highway Patrol will
surely nab anyone caught in the
act. A zero tolerance for any such dangerous street-bound motorcycle behavior remains in place. SoCalBikeNite.com
and Zorba's Burgers do not condone or approve any kind of illegal motorcycle
riding / stunting. Alcohol is not
served at Zorba's Burgers and not legal to consume on or near the premises.